Google Maps Adds Bike Trails

Just in time for spring, Google is helping you enjoy the great outdoors by adding bike trails to Maps.

Simply open up maps and search the location you're looking for. Then click the "More" tab and select "Bicycling."

The bike paths are highlighted in bright green:

If you zoom in, you can see that there are solid lines and dotted lines. The solid lines are greenway or bike trails. The dotted lines are bike routes on streets.

You can also get directions for bicycling, which takes the bike paths into account. Here's an example of a bike route from Ballston Metro in Arlington, VA to Oakton, VA. It uses the popular Custis Trail which leads to the extensive W&OD Trail. (Click the image below for a larger view.)

Google partnered with the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy for the project. Over 12,000 miles of bike paths are now included in Google Maps. Data for bike lanes and recommended streets in 150 cities is also included.